I stepped into the compound of my residence, through the main gate, and many thoughts about the day's event started aligning in my head. Somethings I thought were done perfectly and some others I thought would have been near perfect if a different course of action had been taken...
But after taking few steps in the compound, and approaching the main building, my free flowing thought process was interrupted. I lost focus. My nostrils caught hold of a fine wave of tomato aroma. Tomato sauce frying gently in hot oil, mixed-up with other condiments that adds value to life. I couldn't say for sure if it was stew or jellof rice. But whatever it was, I thought, it smells great and it must taste great. The aroma was delicious to say the least. It could make a suicide bomber have a change of mind.
I took another deep breath, I lost count of how many deep breaths I'd taken since I first picked the signals of tomato sauce and spices earlier on. Something wasn't quite clear, and that was the source of the delicious aroma. I began to do all the possible permutations and combinations. I have four neighbours living in four different flats. Two on either side of the building. One flat on the left side of the building had been under lock and key for days since the inhabitants went on vacation. Leaving only three possibilities: the flat I live in, the flat adjacent mine, and another at the left end of the building. The flat adjacent mine is occupied by bachelors. This rich aroma can never be from the bachelors' flat, I thought to myself. I'm not saying guys can't cook jellof rice or fry stew properly, but this particular sumptuous aroma is the job of a feminine specie, specialized with exceptional culinary endowments. With that injunction, I zeroed the possible source of the aroma to two locations.
I got inside the building, and in the junction where the entrance led to a hallway. The two possible source of the aroma were on either side of the building. It was either left or right. If it was right, then it was no doubt from my flat because the bachelors can't pull off something of this magnitude. I could hear myself wish the aroma wasn't from the left side of the hallway. I turned rightwards, where my flat and the bachelors' were located. The aroma became richer and stronger with each step I took. It could only mean one thing. I was delighted. I hastened my steps. My mouth was already salivated.
When I entered the parlour, and shut the door behind me, the aroma ceased to flow. It stopped. It disappeared just like good dream in the morning. I sniffed. I sniffed again but nothing perceived, nothing smelled. Instead of seeing stew or jellof, my gaze went straight to the tray on the table filled with beans that was being selected from chaff and stones.
I was disappointed but I hid the expression. I changed my clothes quickly and decided to pay my neighbours an important August visit. I needed to acertain if a man was truly behind this atmospheric assault. When I got inside my bachelor friends' apartment, the parlour was redolent with the smell of tomato sauce and spices. The whole airspace was saturated and the sumptuous aroma permeated my skin. There was no doubt. This was the source and origin of the aroma. I walked past two guys busy playing Xbox and headed straight to the kitchen and behold Ejike was stirring the pot and sweating.
When he saw me, he said I must taste his special food today. Yes, it was indeed a special delicacy. If it was the not so special delicacy, he wouldn't have summoned the courage to tell me I must have a taste. It took about twenty minutes for the food to be ready, albeit it seemed like four hours. Finally the food was ready and when I tasted it, I couldn't believe my tongue. I didn't stop eating until I emptied the plate. My goodness, it was finger-licking. I never knew guys could prepare a meal that delicious.
What a woman can do, a man can do.
Men too can cook.
0 comments:
Post a Comment